What's new
Fantasy Football - Footballguys Forums

This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!

2024 Detroit Lions season is over 15-3: Bitter ending to a great season. (17 Viewers)

[continued from previous post]


Safety Jamal Adams

Career stats: Eight seasons, 83 games, 81 starts, 498 tackles (50.0 for a loss), 21.5 sacks, 104 QB pressures, 36 pass defenses, four interceptions

Adams has initially signed with Detroit's practice squad, but reports suggest the veteran safety will get a bump to the 53-man roster in short order.

The No. 6 pick in the 2017 draft out of LSU, Adams has logged a boatload of reps in this league, and, at times, has been counted among the best at his position. A three-time Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro in 2019, he spent his first three seasons with the Jets.

Not wanting to pony up for a massive, market-rate extension ahead of his fourth year, the Jets shipped Adams to the Seahawks for a haul that included two first-round picks. He would play four seasons for Seattle, earning Pro Bowl honors for the first, but never quite achieving the same level of success he had in New York, in part due to injuries that limited him to 34 games across the stretch.

With one-year remaining on what had been a market-resetting contract for the safety position, Adams was released by Seattle in March. He signed with Tennessee three months later and was joined by his secondary mate in Seattle, Quandre Diggs, a month later. But it wasn't meant to be as Adams was limited to three games by a hip injury before he was released at his request.

Schematically, the 6-foot-1, 213-pound Adams has spent most of his career operating closer to the line of scrimmage, whether in the box or covering a tight end in the slot.

He’s a dynamic blitzer who racked up 16.0 sacks between 2019-20 while averaging 27 QB pressures from 2018-20.

Before injuries took their toll, he was also stellar as a run defender and in coverage. In 2021 with Seattle, he was targeted 45 times and gave up just 26 catches for 252 yards, intercepting two throws for a passer rating against of 69.9.

Campbell was a little facetious when asked what role Adams could play in Detroit.

“This will be good, getting Jamal here,” Campbell said. “We’ll see if there’s a place for him. It just gives us options. …Yeah, could be D-end. We’ll put him at D-end.”

In reality, Adams could help backfill the versatility Ifeatu Melifonwu brought to the safety position in 2023, when he was one of the NFL’s most effective blitzing defensive backs.

Melifonwu has been sidelined all season by ankle and finger injuries. With Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph playing at a high level at the two safety spots, it was uncertain where Melifonwu and now Adams fit, but the latter is clearly high-level depth, who at the very least could see some work in three-safety nickel and dime packages as an oversized slot defender once he's caught up on the playbook and his conditioning.
 
Za’Darius Smith (8), Al-Quadin Muhammad (7), and DJ Reader (7) all set or tied season highs in pressures against the Bears, only the second game a team has had 3 players with 7+ pressures this season.

The Lions pressured Caleb Williams on 17 dropbacks without blitzing, their most non-blitz pressures in a game of the Dan Campbell Era (since 2021).
 
That is about the first time i noticed Dan Campbell being upset with a player. I am guessing some new rules will be in place about posting to social media. Everyone is probably in cram mode to learn new terminology.

Or not.

Cross post from his player thread:

I sent beat writer Justin Rogers (Detroit Football Network) a DM via Substack yesterday re: the Gibbs social media “controversy”. He didn’t reply but posted this broadcast DM to paid subscribers (I’m sure many others pinged him about the same thing.)

I've found it amusing the Gibbs' social media post has become such a big deal, but you have to realize it's because he's a star player, and more importantly, fantasy relevant. If Craig Reynolds would have posted the same photo, my initial question would have been the same, but the reaction would have been contained to some mild local interest and zero acknowledgement on the national level.
Here's the recap, since I chose not to write anything despite asking that initial question to Campbell.
1. Campbell genuinely didn't know before I asked him about it. Don't try to force something that's not there. This isn't him acting or galaxy braining the situation. Campbell is both highly aware, informed and above all else, genuine and honest in his media sessions.
2. Yesterday, someone else asked him if he needed to alter the game plan/play calls going forward and he offered a very rare "no comment." That's interesting in itself, but probably more because he just didn't want to talk about it any more.
3. It came up again today on 97.1 and Campbell's answer shows why he's beloved by this fan base. "I don’t really give a crap. If we’re gonna lose because of code words, then we’re not good enough anyway. I think we’ll just post the whole freaking playbook and every code word we’ve got. It doesn’t matter. It’s not gonna hurt us." Also said it's been addressed with the player and he's already reached the point where he's using it to joke around with Gibbs.
As was the intent with my original question, I wanted to know/confirm how Campbell handles these minor transgressions with a young player. It's a new age with managing a roster through the social media age. It offers an opportunity to highlight his coaching/teaching style, which we already know from countless other examples runs in stark contrast to the last guy in his position.
 
Dan Campbell told 97.1 the ticket wxyt the plan is to have Carlton Davis practice today, but not Taylor Decker.
Did they practice Sunday? For practices to match the Sunday schedule of W-T-F it would be Sunday - Monday - Tuesday for a Thursday game.

Yeah their schedule is all jacked up this week

Seems like everyone was around all weekend (though many of the players went to CFB rivalry games), walkthrough was yesterday with player interviews in the LR after practice
 
Dan Campbell Winning Percentage with the Detroit Lions (4th year):
• .563

Kyle Shanahan Winning Percentage with the San Francisco 49ers (8th year):
• .543
 

Coordinator recap: Style over scheme for new Lions defenders, Jamo's future as a return man and final work on Gibbs' leak​

Justin Rogers
December 2


Allen Park — These days, the Detroit Lions defense is a MASH unit. But there’s no time to cry over spilled milk during the NFL season. The unit still has to go out there on Sunday — or in the case of the past two weeks, Thursday — and put its 11 best on the field and play the game.

This week, against Green Bay, some of those 11 might be taking their first snaps for Detroit. The Lions added four defensive players this weekend, poaching veterans Kwon Alexander, Jonah Williams and Myles Adams off other teams’ practice squads while adding former All-Pro safety Jamal Adams to their practice squad.

And while the turnaround to get ready for a Thursday matchup might seem unrealistic, the Lions don’t really have a choice. So even though those players won’t be able to digest the entire playbook, there’s one thing defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn is stressing above all else to his new recruits.

“We can shrink the playbook down as much as we want, but it’s the way that you play that’s the most important," Glenn said. "Most of the guys that we bring in, they understand that and we try to make sure that we emphasize that as much as possible. …Here’s a saying that we say in our defense room, it’s not what we play, it’s how we play.

“If I can go in with four or five calls and they can play fast, they can play physical, they can play violent, that overcomes a lot of scheme,” Glenn continued. “You can have as much scheme as you want, but players make the scheme. Actually, players make the style of play better than the scheme if you think about it the right way and our guys do a good job of that.”

Still, the Lions are mitigating leaving too much to chance by specifically targeting players they know. Linebacker Kwon Alexander, signed off Denver’s practice squad, was with coach Dan Campbell and Glenn in New Orleans. Defensive lineman Jonah Williams was scouted by general manager Brad Holmes when the Rams added the defender as an undrafted free agent out of Weber State in 2020. And defensive tackle Myles Adams, who is coming over from Seattle’s practice squad, played at Rice when Detroit’s assistant defensive line coach Cam Davis was a graduate assistant at the program.

Davis and some of Detroit's other lower-level defensive assistant coaches are another key cog in the onboarding process. When the team acquired Za’Darius Smith in a trade earlier this month, it was Davis who spent extra hours working with the veteran pass rusher to accelerate his understanding of the scheme and his fit within it.

This week, Davis, Shaun Dion Hamilton, Jim O'Neil and David Corrao will be among those working overtime to ensure the newcomers are ready to go.

“Those guys are huge and it’s hard for me to actually put into words exactly what those guys mean to me and how they go about doing their business because there is a lot on their plate,” Glenn said. “I expect a lot from them and my job is to prep them and get them ready for the next opportunity that they’ll get if that’s going to be a true position coach or if that’s actually transitioning to a coordinator sometime.

“…They will grind with these guys as much as they can to get them to understand exactly what we’re doing,” Glenn said. “They know exactly the vision that I have on defense, and they coach it exactly like I see it. That’s a good thing. Once you have guys across the board that’s on the page, they know exactly what I’m looking for and they coach it to that point, all I can do is give those guys props because they do a hell of a job and I’m glad they’re on my side.”

Lions not worried about leak​

Closing the book on running back Jahmyr Gibbs’ inadvertently posting some of the team’s protection calls on social media last week, Lions coach Dan Campbell emphatically dismissed having any concern about that information being made public during a Tuesday morning interview with 97.1-FM.

"I know what it is, but I’m like, you know what, we might as well just put everything out there,” Campbell told the radio station during a weekly interview. “I don’t really give a crap. I mean, if we’re gonna lose because of code words, then we’re not good enough anyway. So, I think we’ll just post the whole freaking playbook out there and every code word we’ve got. It doesn’t matter. It’s not gonna hurt us, it won’t affect us. It’s all good.”

Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson echoed those sentiments, providing a specific example of an opponent recognizing a play call, but still not being able to stop the Lions.

“Listen, each week we like to try to keep guys off balance, teams off balance, opponents off balance, and we certainly don’t want them to know when a play is coming,” Johnson said. “But you look back at the first time we played the Packers this year. Third-and-5, it was our first third down of the game and we made a check, and you can see Kenny Clark giving that signal right there, which is usually universal for run.

“Well, we ran it, and we got 9 yards,” Johnson said. “So even if teams know what’s coming, it’s still challenging to stop us. That’s the mentality that we take. We don’t use those code words at the line of scrimmage a ton, but we’ll make any necessary adjustment we need to.”

Begging for a chance​

Every week, both during practice and during pre-game warmups, Jameson Williams fields punts.

Watching him doing it during training camp the past two years, it often felt like an adventure, so I asked special teams coordinator Dave Fipp what kind of improvement he’s seen from the receiver in that role and whether the coach could ever see giving Williams the opportunity in the game.

“I could definitely see it,” Fipp said. “I would say, development, he’s come a long way. When he first came in here the catching ability was, just like a lot of guys, I mean, he played wideout and it needed some work, I’ll just say it that way, but he’s gotten much better.”

Fipp said it ever got to the point where the Lions would consider using Williams as a situational punt returner, and there were lingering concerns about his ability to field the ball cleanly, there are ways to build in added protection.

“I remember we had Jalen Reagor, who was an explosive returner when I was in Philly,” Fipp said. “He struggled catching the ball. …Every time he was back there, we tried to put a double team on both gunners and at least just get him started or keep him out of harm’s way, so that if he put the ball on the ground there wasn’t going to be anyone close by him and he could end up picking it back up and recovering it at worst-case scenario.”

It probably won’t surprise you to hear Williams has been pleading with Fipp for an opportunity to return one, along with another young Lions player.

“The one thing I love, there are two guys on this team that will beg to be back there all the time and I respect the heck out of them for it,” Fipp said. “It’s Terrion Arnold — he wants to go back there and touch the ball — and Jamo. They want to go back there and touch the ball, and it’s like, I mean I love it. It doesn’t mean they’re going to get that, but I love the fact that they want to do it because there are some other players that probably are hoping that their number’s not called.”

Success built around the backfield​

Glenn was asked about what's been different about the way Packers quarterback Jordan Love has been playing in recent weeks compared to the previous matchup between the teams in Week 9.

The defensive coordinator used the question to praise the opposition for building their scheme around running back Josh Jacobs.

“I’m going to give a lot of credit to the head coach also because I know early in the season — I’m just talking about this season right now — but I know (Love) was throwing interceptions,” Glenn said.

“He was still having a good year, as far as getting the ball downfield and getting the ball to the receivers, but I think what they’ve done a really good job of is saying, ‘Listen, Jacobs, you’re going to run this team and everything’s going to go through you.”

In the three games since the Packers lost to the Lions, Jacobs has amassed 360 yards from scrimmage and scored five touchdowns, all on the ground. Glenn said that caliber of play from a running back makes everything operate more smoothly for a QB.

“That’s going to make you even more effective because now you have to try to stop this run,” Glenn said. “…Now, he’s going to get more of his one-on-one matchups and those throws might be somewhat easier for him. So yes, coach (Matt) LaFleur has done a really good job of riding Jacobs, and then he’s allowing Love to do the things that he’s always been good at doing is getting the ball downfield to these elite receivers that he has.”

Jacobs, in his first year with the Packers, is currently third in the NFL with 987 rushing yards, behind MVP candidates Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry.

“I said this the first time that we played them; when you have a running back of that nature, it changes the mindset of the O-line,” Glenn said. “So now the O-line knows that we have this physical runner, so that turns into a more physical offensive line and all they have to do is show him, give him a little crease, and they know that he’s going to make 3 yards out of nothing. Most of those 3 yards end up getting to be 6 and 7 yards and he’s going to break a tackle. I think he fits that scheme perfectly and he’s doing a hell of a job as far as complementing the whole offense, which allows now (for) the vertical passing game to show up.”

 
[continued from previous post]

When to make the switch​

Earlier this season, Campbell suggested the team would prefer to shift Penei Sewell to left tackle if they knew Taylor Decker would be out of the lineup, but it was Dan Skipper manning the blindside on Thanksgiving, and it will likely remain that setup if Decker can’t get cleared ahead of this week’s game against Green Bay.

I asked Johnson what goes into the decision and he had a logical explanation that as long as Decker has a shot to play there’s no reason to mess with moving Sewell.

“(Decker’s) a guy that has played a lot of football, so if you’re telling me that there’s a chance that he could make it, he might not need to practice that week for us to keep him in,” Johnson said. “So, when you’re looking at that, if you think that there’s a chance, then let’s not move Penei over and have to go through those gymnastics right there. So, it’s a little bit of just forecasting who’s going to be available that week.”

Skipper has had to step in twice for Decker this season and the Lions won both games, besting Houston and Chicago. I asked Johnson what he thought of the veteran backup’s performance in those games.

"He’s come in and he’s fought his tail off which is exactly what we expected from him," Johnson said. "He’s a guy that — he understands his physical limitations and he adjusts accordingly. If he needs to take a certain angle because he might now be quite as quick as Decker might be on some things, then he knows how to do that.

"He also knows how to handle these edge rushers to where it makes them — if they are going to win a rep, he’s not going to allow them to do that quickly. It’s going to take them a second to do that. So he does a great job for us. We know he’s going to fight, we know he’s going to finish for all 60 minutes.

Flowers for the big fella​

DJ Reader is coming off the second two-sack performance of his career and set a new personal best with 3.0 sacks in a season. Rushing the passer isn’t what the 335-pound nose tackle is known for, but the production in that department hasn’t surprised Glenn.

“To see him go out there and get the production that he had this past week — because he doesn’t get the credit he (deserves) — but to see him get the production with the two sacks, it was just time coming,” Glenn said. “We knew that he can push the pocket. We knew that he can make plays like that, and again, I’m going to say this, he’s way more athletic than what people give him credit for. I expect those things to continue to happen for him.”

Reader, in his ninth season out of Clemson, now has 12.5 sacks during his career. When I talked to him in the locker room after the game, he immediately recalled his other two-sack outing coming against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

“Oh, I know I got Brady twice,” Reader said.

Even though it’s a new career-high in sacks, Reader has been impactful as an interior pass rusher for much of his career. He generated at least 32 pressures in four of the past five seasons. The lone exception was 2020 when he missed most of the year due to injury.

Practice report​

In addition to Decker, defensive linemen Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike and Reader didn’t practice.

Campbell cast doubt on Paschal and Onwuzurike’s availability over the weekend after both exited with knee injuries on Thanksgiving. Reader briefly exited that contest but returned after landing hard on his shoulder.

Also notable from Monday’s practice was Jamal Adams working through individual drills with the linebackers, as opposed to the defensive backs.
 
@Leroy Hoard to follow up on earlier, today is like a Thursday - today we heard from the 3 Coordinators.



0:00-12:11 - Aaron Glenn
12:12-26:15 - Dave Fipp
26:16-36:30 - Ben Johnson



@davebirkett

No Taylor Decker, DJ Reader, Josh Paschal or Levi Onwuzurike at Lions practice today.

Jamal Adams was there, wearing No. 25 and going through position drills with LBs during the media viewing period.



IMO @JimmyLiaoMD (X) is the best follow for Detroit Lions injuries.

He only does the Lions. Went of U of M, board certified in family practice. Personally I don't listen to the Detroit Lions Podcast (Jeff Risdon and others) but it's more because of time constraints. Anyway, he's a regular on there. I just know that for every Lions injury, he'll find the play it happened, and then give his best Twitter Doc analysis. Seems pretty straight and not given to hyperbole, doom n gloom or overly optimistic, just a "more likely than not" kind of take if that makes sense.
 
That is about the first time i noticed Dan Campbell being upset with a player. I am guessing some new rules will be in place about posting to social media. Everyone is probably in cram mode to learn new terminology.

Or not.

Cross post from his player thread:

I sent beat writer Justin Rogers (Detroit Football Network) a DM via Substack yesterday re: the Gibbs social media “controversy”. He didn’t reply but posted this broadcast DM to paid subscribers (I’m sure many others pinged him about the same thing.)

I've found it amusing the Gibbs' social media post has become such a big deal, but you have to realize it's because he's a star player, and more importantly, fantasy relevant. If Craig Reynolds would have posted the same photo, my initial question would have been the same, but the reaction would have been contained to some mild local interest and zero acknowledgement on the national level.
Here's the recap, since I chose not to write anything despite asking that initial question to Campbell.
1. Campbell genuinely didn't know before I asked him about it. Don't try to force something that's not there. This isn't him acting or galaxy braining the situation. Campbell is both highly aware, informed and above all else, genuine and honest in his media sessions.
2. Yesterday, someone else asked him if he needed to alter the game plan/play calls going forward and he offered a very rare "no comment." That's interesting in itself, but probably more because he just didn't want to talk about it any more.
3. It came up again today on 97.1 and Campbell's answer shows why he's beloved by this fan base. "I don’t really give a crap. If we’re gonna lose because of code words, then we’re not good enough anyway. I think we’ll just post the whole freaking playbook and every code word we’ve got. It doesn’t matter. It’s not gonna hurt us." Also said it's been addressed with the player and he's already reached the point where he's using it to joke around with Gibbs.
As was the intent with my original question, I wanted to know/confirm how Campbell handles these minor transgressions with a young player. It's a new age with managing a roster through the social media age. It offers an opportunity to highlight his coaching/teaching style, which we already know from countless other examples runs in stark contrast to the last guy in his position.

That is one reason why players love to play for Campbell, he never throws his players under the bus. He was a bit upset at the press conference when he was caught off gaurd by it, but he handled it as Dan always does and takes the heat off the player.
 
[Justin Rogers]

Here's what Jamal Adams had to say in his first media session with the Detroit Lions.

Said he was thrilled to be called/texted by Aaron Glenn, who had run Adams' Pro Day at LSU ahead of the 2017 draft. "From that point on, we’ve always kept a close connection. So, a hell of a coach, as everybody knows, but an even better person."

I asked him about working with the linebackers during practice. “I just feel like I can do a little bit of everything. Whatever they ask me to do, I’m definitely going to do it to the best of my ability and just fly around and continue to make plays.”

Credited his success rushing the passer to skills he honed playing capture the flag in elementary school.

Said he wanted to join a winning team after his short stint with the Titans. I noted he's only played in the playoffs twice and hasn't won a postseason game. "Again, it’s a dream come true. They didn’t have to call me, they didn’t need me. They’ve been doing phenomenal, so just to get that call from a first-class organization like the Detroit Lions, it’s a no-brainer for me. Again, I’m just grateful for my opportunity and wherever they want me out there, whenever they call my name and call my number, I’m there."

Asked how long it would take for him to be ready to play, he said with a smile, "We'll see."



He's obviously not the player he once was, but his peak burned as bright as anyone who ever played Strong Safety.

Awards​

  • 3× Pro Bowl (2018–2020)
  • First-team All-Pro (2019)
  • Second-team All-Pro (2018, 2020)
  • NFL Top 100: 37th (2019), 27th (2020), 31st (2021)

NFL record​

Most sacks by a defensive back in a season: 9.5 (2020)

Between 2017 and 2021, he had 5 seasons with at least 62 pressures (peak was 94 in 2018 (Y2). He not only has the most sacks in a season by a DB, he also has a season with the 5th most sacks ever by a DB. But that was a long time ago; his last sack was in 2020.
  • 2021 - torn labrum, missed the last 5 games
  • 2022 - torn quad in Week 1, missed the last 16 games
  • 2023 - injuries limited him to 9 games
After 7 years (3 NYJ, 4 SEA) he was released by the Seahawks. Signed a 1-year with the Titans but missed the start of the year because of an injury. Started vs the Packers and looked bad in 17 snaps. In all, played 3 games (20 snaps) before going on NFI. He requested a release 6 weeks ago and has been biding his time since.
 
Last edited:
Pro Bowl Voting:

1st at their position in the NFL: G Kevin Zeitler, T Penei Sewell, ST Sione Vaki
1st at their position in the NFC: C Frank Ragnow (Creed Humphrey 1st)

QB - Jared Goff 5th NFL, 2nd NFC
RB - Jahmyr Gibbs 3rd NFL, 2nd NFC
RB - David Montgomery 8th NFL, 6th NFC
WR - Amon-Ra St Brown 3rd NFL, 2nd NFC
TE - Sam LaPorta 7th NFL, 4TH NFC
T - Taylor Decker 5th NFL, 5th NFC
DI - Alim McNeill 9th NFL, 4th NFC
ILB - Jack Campbell 10th NFL, 5th NFC
CB - Carlton Davis 7th NFL, 3rd NFC
FS - Kerby Joseph 2nd NFL, 2nd NFC
SS - Brian Branch 3rd NFL, 2nd NFC
P - Mr Jack Fox 5th NFL, 2nd NFC
K - Jake Bates 5th NFL, 2nd NFC
LS - Hogan Hatten 2nd NFL, 2nd NFC

ETA

Hilarious post from r/CHIBears

Currently, 0 Bears are in the top 10 for voting at any position. There are 19 Lions, 14 Packers and 12 Vikings in the top 10 Pro Bowl voting thus far.​


:lmao:
 
Last edited:
All 22 Films

"Front Office Flex"

How Brad Holmes refused to flinch after another round of Detroit Lions injuries

Coach breaks down the four new guys.
  • LB Kwon Alexander
  • DL Jonah Williams
  • DL Myles Adams
  • SS/Nickel LB Jamal Adams
Alexander and Jamal Adams are likely there to compete with one another for one spot (the Lions don't play Dime packages this year but basically cover LB in base.)

Myles Adams and Williams are there just to give AG more depth pieces, likely won't play more than 10-15 snaps at most.

Only Jamal Adams came in off the street. The other three - Alexander DEN), Myles Adams (SEA) and Williams (Rams) - all came from other teams practice squads, and by rule must stay on the 53-man roster for at least 3 weeks.

LB David Long, another recent signing, is probably better than any of these four. He has carved outa role for himself - at least until we start getting people like JRM and Anzalone back. He has played 64% of his snaps on dropbacks, but historically run defense has been the strongest part of his game. I think the new signings will allow AG to utilize Long more on early run downs.
 

"REFUSE TO FOLD" - DJ READER & ZA'DARIUS SMITH LED A DEPLETED LIONS DEFENSE TO VICTORY IN WK 13


Reader and Za'Darius were incredible on that last series versus the Bears. DJ was consistently collapsing the center of the pocket, and Smith had a half sack on the 7th play and a solo sack on the 14th play of the Bears final possession.

Aside - The Lions got a third sack on the 5th play by A-Q Muhammed. In addition, A-Q dropped into coverage on the 9th play, and had a PD versus Keenan Allen.
 
Big stretch of games coming up that will decide the division and home field for the playoffs.

Was so pissed watching the Minny game..it is amazing how you could just feel the Cardinals were going to lose even when they were up. The little plays here and there in the second half that cost teams wins.

Another note I have seen Hutchs Bronco at his parents house so he must be driving now.
 
Big stretch of games coming up that will decide the division and home field for the playoffs.

Was so pissed watching the Minny game..it is amazing how you could just feel the Cardinals were going to lose even when they were up. The little plays here and there in the second half that cost teams wins.

Another note I have seen Hutchs Bronco at his parents house so he must be driving now.

Yeah he drove himself about an hour to give a young Marine suite tickets for the Bears game. Dude was almost done with Basic Training and had a jump accident that left him temporarily paralyzed. His mom was in on it but he had no idea.

Good dude helping out a good dude
 
Dan Campbell said all four new defenders could play this week. Doesn't expect Taylor Decker to play. Davis III is on a good path to play against the Packers. The other injuries, including DJ Reader, are TBD.

But today is like a Friday, so…Onwuzurike & Paschal NP likely means they’ll be out.
 
Big stretch of games coming up that will decide the division and home field for the playoffs.

Was so pissed watching the Minny game..it is amazing how you could just feel the Cardinals were going to lose even when they were up. The little plays here and there in the second half that cost teams wins.

Another note I have seen Hutchs Bronco at his parents house so he must be driving now.
I was born in Detroit and now live in Phoenix and have Cardinals season tickets (my 1B to the Lions 1A).
I was SO angry after that game! 😡
 
No Reader would be brutal with everyone else that's missing.

don't be a doomer, brother man

we traded three picks for the fat kid

Brodric Martin has 30 career snaps

time to throw him in there, if you really believe all 69 players matter, then let's find out what we got there



There was a post on r/detroitlions last night about Tim Patrick asking if the Lions should pick him up (if he clears waivers)

Hilariously, about every third or fourth reply was "can we rotate him at the Sam LB?" "can the praying mantis plays defense?" or "how many years since he played defense - anyone know what he was in h.s.? could be a sneaky good Edge, too skinny to get a hand on coming from Wide 9."

I do worry about the communication on defense. We just have so many newbies who haven't even been in the facility very long. It's one thing asking a season long Practice Squad member to step up, they've been getting reps in the AG system for 4+ monrhs. We've got four guys who have been with the team 5-6 days (3 practices & a walkthrough) who could see 8-12 snaps tomorrow night.

Gonna be quite the test. More than likely we'll get through it because 1) the offense & ST units, who are both outstanding, do their part, and 2) the healthier-than-they've-been defensive backfield balls out. Seriously gonna be weird having a front 7 of Alim, Z, Jack and 3-4 "who is #?? again? where'd we get him?"

Yeah, it is tough dealing with the attrition, but what other choice do they have?



Every season has ebbs and flows. We are definitely ebbing rn but that's OK, as long as they keep putting in the work and fight through it. Nothing lasts forever. We have reinforcements coming back from IR-R, plus several players who are out this week but should be good to go after the mini-bye.
 
As an objective football fan, the one thing that would concern me would be going to Philly to face Saquon in the playoffs. They need that dome advantage and their remaining schedule is tougher than Philly's. I think Buffalo at home will be a statement game, though.
 
As an objective football fan, the one thing that would concern me would be going to Philly to face Saquon in the playoffs. They need that dome advantage and their remaining schedule is tougher than Philly's. I think Buffalo at home will be a statement game, though.
As a not-objective Eagles fan, the one thing that concerns me is playing the Lions in the dome. I feel like we can win anywhere but that place would be electric and we'd rightfully be road dogs. Lions come to the Linc at the end of January and its a different game.
 
Lions are 6-0 on the road this season but go on

33-9 since Halloween 2022, with no losing streaks - never lost consecutive games

17-4 at home

16-5 on the road

This ain't Wayne Fontes and the run n shoot. We can win in the cold, rain, we'll play ya in a landfill....
 
Lions are 6-0 on the road this season but go on

33-9 since Halloween 2022, with no losing streaks - never lost consecutive games

17-4 at home

16-5 on the road

This ain't Wayne Fontes and the run n shoot. We can win in the cold, rain, we'll play ya in a landfill....
My post wasn't meant to disparage Detroit. I'm just saying, as an Eagles fan, my strong preference would be to play in Philly in late January than in the dome. Weather notwithstanding, home field advantage, when you have rabid fans, is a real thing. Your team and my team both have that in droves and I'll take any advantage we can get.
 
Lions are 6-0 on the road this season but go on

33-9 since Halloween 2022, with no losing streaks - never lost consecutive games

17-4 at home

16-5 on the road

This ain't Wayne Fontes and the run n shoot. We can win in the cold, rain, we'll play ya in a landfill....
My post wasn't meant to disparage Detroit. I'm just saying, as an Eagles fan, my strong preference would be to play in Philly in late January than in the dome. Weather notwithstanding, home field advantage, when you have rabid fans, is a real thing. Your team and my team both have that in droves and I'll take any advantage we can get.

Yeah it's all good - just that I've seen a lot of posters on TSP this week saying Detroit needs to get the #1 seed because their game won't travel.

We have really loud fans. For most regular season games, we takeover the host city and have 40-50% of the stadium packed with Honolulu blue. We won't have as big of a presence if we have to go on the road in the postseason.

If they get the #1 seed (for the first time ever), cool beans. But if they end up the #2 or #3 seed, half the SB participants since they went to this in format in 2021 were teams that did not get the #1 seed.

The goals MCDC gave them preseason and has emphasized all year is 1) one game at a time - it's hard to win games in the NFL, every single week is challenging, 2) win the division so we can start the playoffs at home, and 3) earn the #1 seed. But he's constantly reminding them "It doesn't matter where we play. We have the ability to go anywhere and win. We have the ability to win a variety of ways. You're not trying to thread a needle, we can win because the offense dictated, or because the defense was suffocating, or the special teams put us in favorable positions. You've done all those things so I know we can do it again. You have the ability to control the game, or adapt to whatever kind of game it becomes."
 

Contextualizing Lions' woes to the most injury-ravaged roster of the past decade​


Justin Rogers | Detroit Football Network | Substack

Allen Park — The Baltimore Ravens' entered the 2021 season with typically lofty expectations, despite premature postseason exits each of the past three years.

But the injury bug had a different vision for the franchise. The roster ravaging began in the offseason and never let up. And despite pushing valiantly forward through the woes, including an early-season five-game winning streak and an 8-3 start, the attrition eventually caught up to the Ravens.

The knockout blow was a severe ankle injury to star quarterback Lamar Jackson, leading to the Ravens losing their final six contests. It remains the franchise’s only absence from the postseason since 2017.

There are a few publications that attempt to contextualize the impact of injuries on NFL teams' seasons. One of the most popular is the defunct Football Outsiders, which has been maintained by many of the minds behind that entity at For the Numbers. Regardless of the platform, the 2021 Ravens are considered by all as the most injury-affected team of the past decade.

And while it’s too early to try to summarize what the 2024 Detroit Lions are going through, those Ravens, who placed 25 players on injured reserve, provide us a baseline understanding regarding the uniqueness of the challenges the Lions are battling through.

Before we dive into how the Lions’ problems stack up, we should first recap what happened to the Ravens in 2021, position by position.

Quarterback: As noted above, Jackson, the league’s MVP in 2019, suffered an ankle injury in the early stages of the team’s Week 14 game against Cleveland. The Ravens would go on to lose that divisional matchup as well as the next four weeks with their starting QB sidelined.

Offensive line: Star left tackle Ronnie Stanley played in the season opener before missing the remainder of the year with an ankle injury. Patrick Mekari, his replacement in the lineup, would also miss four games with an ankle injury, while Week 1 starting left guard Tyre Phillips would sit out nine weeks with two separate injuries. The top interior backup, Ben Cleveland, also had a midseason stint on injured reserve.

Running back: Arguably no position group was hit harder as the team lost its top three backs before the season started. J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards suffered torn ACLs while Justice Hill ruptured his Achilles.

Baltimore is a team that leans on its rushing attack and found itself scrambling ahead of Week 1. The team ultimately signed three accomplished veterans in early September — Devonta Freeman, Latavius Murray and LeVeon Bell — to shoulder the load.

Wide receiver: While there weren’t any season-ending injuries in the room, Reshod Bateman missed the first four weeks with a groin injury, free-agent signing Sammy Watkins sat out three with a thigh issue, and Miles Boykin, a 13-game starter a year earlier, was banged up much of the season and finished with one catch in 2021.

Tight end: If there was a bright spot that year for Baltimore, it was Mark Andrews, who played in every game for only the second time in his career and posted what remains his best production: 107 catches for 1,361 yards and nine touchdowns.

Where the team got dinged was backup Nick Boyle, a key contributor to the run game. He was limited to five games and 95 snaps by a torn hamstring and blown-out knee.

Defensive line: Baltimore’s defensive front was dealt a big blow early when Derek Wolfe couldn’t shake a back injury and missed the entire season. He would never play another down in the NFL.

The rest of the front held up reasonably well, relatively speaking, with Calais Campbell missing two games and defensive tackle Brandon Williams sidelined four by a shoulder issue.

Linebacker: Starter L.J. Fort tore his ACL in August. Like Wolfe, it ended up being a career-ender for the veteran defender.

Secondary: The defensive backfield was another group decimated by injuries, starting with cornerback Marcus Peters being lost for the season with an ACL tear in training camp.

Additionally, part of the Peters’ replacement plan, Chris Westry, missed most of the year with a knee injury. Veteran Jimmy Smith missed multiple games with both ankle and neck injuries, and the starter opposite Peters, Marlon Humphrey, missed the final five games, all losses, with a torn pec.

At safety, starter DeShon Elliott was lost for the year and missed the final 11 games after also tearing his pec.

When it’s laid out, the devastation is clear. The Ravens dealt with injuries to starters at nearly every position group, many of them season-ending. It’s a minor miracle they sustained as long as they did, but similar to the present-day Lions, it’s a well-coached franchise, typically with tremendous depth and high standards. Next man up isn't just a phrase, it carries expectations.

The way injuries have affected the Lions has been far different. In fact, they’ve remained largely remained unscathed on one side of the ball.

The only time Jared Goff hasn’t been on the field is when he’s given way to backup Hendon Hooker in three blowouts. They’ve had a few minor concerns along the offensive line, but nothing requiring an IR stint. The running backs and tight ends have mostly been available, sans Sam LaPorta missing one game with a banged-up shoulder. And in the receiver room, the only loss has been Kalif Raymond, No. 4 on the depth chart, but still a tough blow on special teams as a former All-Pro returner.

No, where Detroit has been absolutely crushed is on defense.

Up front, they’ve suffered through the long-term losses of Aidan Hutchinson, Marcus Davenport, John Cominsky, Kyle Peko and rookie Mekhi Wingo. They're also currently dealing with some more short-term concerns with Josh Paschal, Levi Onwuzurike and DJ Reader. That could facilitate a bigger role for Brodric Martin, the second-year developmental player who was robbed of that development while on the shelf with a knee injury during the first half of this season.

In the next level, the linebackers have been hit equally as hard as the front. Derrick Barnes remains likely out for the year and Malcolm Rodriguez definitely is after tearing his ACL last week. Additionally, Alex Anzalone and Jalen Reeves-Maybin are currently on injured reserve, although there’s hope both can come back near the end of the regular season.

The secondary has been more fortunate, but not without issues. Emmanuel Moseley, the projected starter at the nickel, and No. 3 safety Ifeatu Melifonwu suffered long-term issues in camp. Moseley just got back and has yet to play a defensive snap, while Melifonwu remains out of action.

The starting five to open the year — Carlton Davis III, Terrion Arnold, Amik Robertson, Kerby Joseph and Brian Branch — have been more fortunate, with two not missing any time and the other three sitting out just one game apiece, assuming Davis returns to action this Thursday.

Rookie reserve Ennis Rakestraw did land on IR, but he’d only seen limited playing time through 12 weeks.

Comparatively, what the Lions are going through on defense stacks up against the 2021 Ravens and likely any other roster from the past decade. Not that it surprises anyone, they’re down at least four starters, at least a couple replacement starters, and several key backups entering the stretch run.

What remains surprising is how well they’ve held up after each blow, with the past six opponents averaging 13.8 points. But the relative durability of Detroit’s offense, when contrasting the two rosters, is a reminder of how much worse it could be and why Detroit's Super Bowl aspirations remain in play, even if weakened by their ongoing tribulations.
 
Josh Reynolds waived by the Broncos. I think he's still hurt but any chance Detroit would bring him back for a playoff run? Do they need him? Patrick has done a pretty good job as the WR3
 
Josh Reynolds waived by the Broncos. I think he's still hurt but any chance Detroit would bring him back for a playoff run? Do they need him? Patrick has done a pretty good job as the WR3

He would be redundant IMO.

He has to clear waivers, not sure they’ll get a chance to reacquire him.
 
Josh Reynolds waived by the Broncos. I think he's still hurt but any chance Detroit would bring him back for a playoff run? Do they need him? Patrick has done a pretty good job as the WR3

He would be redundant IMO.

He has to clear waivers, not sure they’ll get a chance to reacquire him.
Per Rotoworld, the two-year contract he got from Denver almost guarantees he'll clear waivers. And barring some sort of personality conflict we don't know about, I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to go back to Detroit. But yeah, the redundancy issue raises the question of whether Detroit would want him back. Still, he was a pretty reliable set of hands (assuming you're willing to leave aside that back-breaking drop in the NFCCG, which was largely atypical of his performance last year). And while he's obviously a very different player, they did recently lose Raymond for the year
 
Josh Reynolds waived by the Broncos. I think he's still hurt but any chance Detroit would bring him back for a playoff run? Do they need him? Patrick has done a pretty good job as the WR3

He would be redundant IMO.

He has to clear waivers, not sure they’ll get a chance to reacquire him.
Per Rotoworld, the two-year contract he got from Denver almost guarantees he'll clear waivers. And barring some sort of personality conflict we don't know about, I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to go back to Detroit. But yeah, the redundancy issue raises the question of whether Detroit would want him back. Still, he was a pretty reliable set of hands (assuming you're willing to leave aside that back-breaking drop in the NFCCG, which was largely atypical of his performance last year). And while he's obviously a very different player, they did recently lose Raymond for the year
My initial thought was no but you have changed my mind. If it’s possible to add him to the practice squad it would make a lot of sense to do so. If we had an injury to a WR it would be a plug and play option assuming he is healthy. Not to mention everyone loves a redemption story, heck that’s our teams vibe. Wouldn’t it be awesome for him to make a big catch in a meaningful game given how it ended for him last year.
 
Josh Reynolds waived by the Broncos. I think he's still hurt but any chance Detroit would bring him back for a playoff run? Do they need him? Patrick has done a pretty good job as the WR3

He would be redundant IMO.

He has to clear waivers, not sure they’ll get a chance to reacquire him.
Per Rotoworld, the two-year contract he got from Denver almost guarantees he'll clear waivers. And barring some sort of personality conflict we don't know about, I can't imagine why he wouldn't want to go back to Detroit. But yeah, the redundancy issue raises the question of whether Detroit would want him back. Still, he was a pretty reliable set of hands (assuming you're willing to leave aside that back-breaking drop in the NFCCG, which was largely atypical of his performance last year). And while he's obviously a very different player, they did recently lose Raymond for the year

Raymond is a completely different type of player though ( apologies, I now see you mention this ), a speedster who could kind of fill in as Amon-Ra lite in some ways if needed. A combination of Jamo with increased targets and Patrick being of a similar style has very clearly filled Reynolds role, imo.
 
I don't see Reynolds in the plans. When we don't make an effort to re-sign someone there is usually a reason. I am guessing there were people in the organization who soured on Reynolds after the NFCC game and it wasn't just fans.
 
Lions waived Loren Strickland. Probably calling up three from the practice squad.

Would guess Jamal Adams, Maurice Alexander and a d-lineman (pick your favorite - Chris Smith, Thomas, Ukwu).

Slap some duct tape on it & call it The Red Green Defense.
 
Kaevon Merriweather, we hardly knew ye in Detroit.

The veteran safety was signed off the Lions practice squad by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday after reports came out on Tuesday.

Merriweather had just recently signed with the Lions, joining the team’s practice squad on November 21st. He did not appear in any games with the Lions.
 
Josh Reynolds: The Jaguars claimed Reynolds off waivers Wednesday, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network

Makes sense with Kirk and Davis out for the season

Where you watching the game tomorrow? What time will it be where you are?

Well I thought I was going to have my apartment to myself tomorrow night, however, looks like the girlfriend is coming over so my only chance might be in bed with headphones on and gamepass on my phone. 5 hours ahead so game starts 1.15am. She’s really chilled out and easy going ( Eastern French ) so I doubt she’ll mind as long as I’ve done my duties and caused her to drift off into a deep sleep 😉 Truth be told when I agreed to her coming over tomorrow I’d momentarily forgotten about the game 😂
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top